Kartapolov explained the increase in the draft age by the demographic situation

The draft law on raising the draft age to 30 is connected with the demographic situation in Russia, says Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee. Raising the draft age to 30 years is necessary for a stable number of recruits, he explained. The law should come into force on January 1, 2024.

The Committee today supported an amendment to raise the upper limit of the military age. He also recommended introduce changes not in stages, but immediately from next year. The decisions of the committee to reject and adopt amendments to bill No. 312507-8 appeared in the Duma database.

Mr. Kartapolov told Interfax that 147 thousand people were called up for the spring conscription of 2023. According to him, “in order for this figure to be stable, and to have someone to select, for this we are expanding the appropriate boundaries.” “The wording of the draft law has changed due to the fact that the demographic situation is serious, it affects the volume of the mobilization resource, and in order for us not to sag, such a wording is needed,” Andrey Kartapolov assures.

At the same time, he clarified that those who turn 27 on December 31, 2023 will not fall under the law.

The deputy expressed the opinion that the new borders of military age will be supported in the Federation Council. “We are doing this for our country, for our people, for our army, so we are absolutely confident in the correctness of this decision and are convinced that we will be supported, including by colleagues from the Federation Council,” he said.

According to the amendments, the upper limit of conscription will be increased from 27 to 30 years, while the lower limit will remain the same – from 18 years. Initially, it was planned to increase it to 21 years. Heads of two committees of the Federation Council Viktor Bondarev and Andrey Klishas did not support maintaining the lower limit of the military age. Mr. Bondarev believes that men should be allowed to join the army at the age of 18, but on a voluntary basis.

Read more about the amendments in the publication “Kommersant” “Feet got used to boots”.

Laura Keffer